Pictures of the week: From Usman Khawaja's defiance to Zimbabwe's old guard

International cricket has spread its wings in the third week of June with Australia and England reigniting their famed rivalry in the Ashes. Meanwhile, ten teams are contesting for the two remaining World Cup spots in the World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.

Here are the best pictures to roundoff an entertaining week in cricket

Welcome to Bazball

The opening day of the Ashes saw Australia dominate the early stages of the match, only for Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to give them a taste of 'Bazball' with their swashbuckling partnership. A surprise declaration from Ben Stokes later in the day further highlighted their infallible approach in red-ball cricket.

Broad's bunny

Senior Aussie opener David Warner must hate the sight of English pacer Stuart Broad, especially after the veteran pacer got rid of the southpaw for a record 15th time on the second day of the Edgbaston Test.

England's golden boy with his golden arm

Life is full of uncertainties, but Ben Stokes picking up a crucial wicket for his side is one of the inevitable certainties of life. The English all-rounder, who has struggled with a knee issue of late, trapped Steve Smith in front of the wicket to deliver a hammer blow to the Aussies in their reply. 

A celebration to match his performance

Australian opener Usman Khawaja came into the Ashes opener after a couple of poor outings in the WTC Final against India. However, the elegant opener stood like a wall against the English bowlers, negating everything that was thrown at him with utter disdain. The southpaw flung his bat into the air after breaching the three-figure mark for the first time on English shores.

The party poopers arrive in Birmingham

An interesting phase of the third day of the Ashes opener ended in disappointment after more than 40 overs were lost due to rain. 

Root's innovation

Former England skipper Joe Root is arguably one of the best Test batters of this generation. While his runs are a testament to his greatness, the ace batter has started to reverse ramp bowlers for fun these days.

Bangladesh's very own superstar

A 24-year-old Najmul Hossain Shanto roared in delight after becoming only the second Bangladeshi batter to register centuries in both innings of a Test match. His record-setting performance helped the home side drub Afghanistan in one of the most one-sided Tests of all time.

The old guard stands tall for Zimbabwe

Nepal threatened to pose a few tricky questions to hosts Zimbabwe after posting a healthy total in the first World Cup Qualifier. However, Zimbabwe skipper Craig Ervine and senior batter Sean Williams registered their respective centuries to guide the hosts to a comfortable win. 

Two-time champions on the right path

An inspired batting performance from the middle-order batters saw the Windies get over the line in their campaign opener against the United States in Harare.